GOP: Dixie US Reps ready to move up. Now that House Speaker John Boehner has announced his coming retirement, a number of Southern Republicans are signaling they plan to seek leadership posts that will soon be vacated. Dan Webster (FL) indicated late Friday that he will run for speaker, challenging the mainstream favorite, US Rep. Kevin McCarthy (CA). If McCarthy wins, however, Steve Scalise (LA), currently the majority whip, hopes to become the new majority leader. Other Southerners looking at a promotion include Tom Price (GA), Patrick McHenry (NC), Jeb Hensarling (TX) and Pete Sessions (TX) ……. North Carolina: Governor’s race a statistical tie. Gov. Pat McCrory (R) and state Attorney General Roy Cooper (D), the likely Democratic nominee, are neck and neck, according to the latest Elon University Poll. It’s 43% for McCrory, 42% for Cooper, a very slight gain for McCrory since the last survey ……. Islam: Most voters wouldn’t vote for a Muslim for president. When Ben Carson said he could not support a Muslim for president, he was roundly denounced in the news media. While Carson’s view – before he walked it back – showed intolerance, it may not have been that impolitic. A Rasmussen Poll finds that 51% of respondents would not vote for a Muslim presidential candidate; 28% said they would, and 20% said they were undecided …….